Page 33

THIRTY-THREE

DAYTON

S ilas has the prick from OCK who beat Judas the other week to a pulp against the ropes. Even from afar, I can see the wild, feral look in Silas’ eyes. The same ones that show when he is about to finish. His opponent stumbles, barely holding on. Blood drips down Lawrence’s right cup from a split brow. The crowd roars as Silas lands his final blow, causing Lawrence to double over, dramatically collapsing on the floor.

Silas looms over Lawrence, looking ready to finish off his prey. Every muscle in his body coiled, his shoulders flexing under the dim lights glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. He drops down, straddling Lawrence, and continues to drive his fists into him. Lawrence tries to block, but he’s unable to. The bell rings out and that is the only thing to stop Silas.

The referee calls it, and the crowd explodes, but I just lean back, letting out a slow breath. Silas throws his fists in the air, basking in the glory like a gladiator in a coliseum. I glance over at Kai, whose arms are wrapped around Sable as she bounces her leg nervously. Kai looks at his phone with his other arm like he isn’t interested at all.

Silas jumps down from the ring and takes the white towel from Levi. He flashes that wild grin at him before looking over at us. With a fist in the air, he yells, “DSN party at the catacombs!”

There’s an audible groan all around from the rest of our group. Levi and I have deadlines out the ass this next week and there’s still a killer on the loose. The last thing any of us needs to be doing is partying. But Silas wants to make it clear that we are not scared of someone coming after us.

Silas strides over to us with calculated ease over the barriers. A positive energy buzzed off of him as he scoops Sable up in his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist. She plays the part as she giggles, holding his face in her hands. Silas holds a fist up in the air and says “DSN!” The rest of the frat around us chant as he slams his lips against Sable. Everyone cheers, slapping us on the back. Sable enjoys herself at the moment. She knows that even if she is still pissed at Silas, that it’s best if she swallows it down while we are in front of the entire frat. Good girl.

We got Silas home, showered, and the group of us walk down to the chapel together. Levi and Kai talk in low voices beside me, probably bitching about assignments they are now going to have to pull all-nighters to be able to finish for next week. My fingers are intertwined with Sable as we walk down. She’s changed into a tight dark green sequin dress, a snake cuff on her upper arm. Her hair in a loose braid off the shoulder with lots of loose pieces flowing in the fall wind.

She knows how to look the part of a First Lady of a frat.

“It suits you.” I lean down, whispering against her ear.

She looks up at me and smiles sweetly.

”But I’m going to have much more fun tearing that dress off of you later,” I purr, watching as her whole body melts in response.

That’s right, melt for me, babygirl.

Silas rolls his eyes, obviously hearing what I had said. “She’s mine tonight.”

“Wrong, Si. She’s ours.”

Most of the frat must have predicted that Si would win, as most of them had already gotten the party started. The generator for the chapel is running, lights on and music from Kenan’s truck is blaring. Some pledges see us walk up and greet us with beers.

“Thanks,” Kai says.

We spend some time mingling with some of the upperclassmen with whom we share classes with. Sable stays glued to mine and Silas’ side. Every so often, I watch her pull her dress down as it rides up.

She’s subtly rubbing her legs together. I bet her panties are so fucking damp.

God, I can’t wait to devour her.

Silas picks up on it. “Little devil? You okay?”

“Yes. I am. I am just going to get a drink.” She pulls away from us.

Kai steps in. “I’ll go with you.”

He wraps his arm around her protectively and pulls her toward the coolers with drinks. I go with him, not because I don’t trust Kai, but because the thought of her not being near damn near makes me unable to breathe. I think she is getting used to having at least one of us around her at all times.

It’s hard to breathe air not shared with her.

Kai leans down and grabs her a hard seltzer from the cooler, opening it for her. She takes the chilled can, holding it in between her hands and takes tentative sips from it.

“How long do we have to be here?” Walking back within earshot, Kai asks me. “I have shit to do, a mahal to… fuck…” His voice trails as his teeth graze along Sable’s neck. She giggles into his touch and playfully pushes him away.

“Long enough for Silas to come down from the high of the win.”

Sable adjusts herself, leaning into me. I feel a shift in her body language and look up. Victoria walks toward us in her signature black body suit, her tits on full display. I watch as other frat members ogle at her. Even if she was our girl last year, everyone’s had a taste of her. Her hair is pulled up in a tall ponytail, the soft wavy tuft sways as she walks toward us.

There was a time where seeing her would make all of us light up with softness. Now it just causes a knot to form in the pit inside of me.

“Well, hello, boys.” Her voice rolls like venom across my skin. Her eyes don’t make contact with us. They remained fixed on Sable, and how protective my grip is on her.

“Hi, Victoria,” Sable says. Trying to remain cheerful, while also keeping her guard up.

Vicky raises a brow, peeking behind us. “Where is Silas? I should congratulate him on his win.”

“You shouldn’t be here Vicky.” Kai steps in front of Sable and me, towering over Vicky.

Vicky scoffs. “Please, this is a co-frat affair, is it not? Silas invited everyone. I just want to have a good time.”

My jaw ticks, but before I can shut her down. Sable wiggles out of my grasp and steps toward Vicky. Her hands find their way gently on her hips, her elbows brushing Kai out of the way. “Leave, Victoria.”

We should just be ignoring her. Because she thrives on reactions, on finding the crack in your armor and prying it wide open.

Vicky’s smile turns more into a sneer as her tits bounce at a small giggle. “Oh, Sable. Sweet, sweet, Sable. I heard you almost damn near clawed one of my girls’ eyes out in the library.” She tilts her head. “It was Silas who wanted her. Are you not satisfying him? I was able to satisfy them… all of them, at once. They never needed to stray.”

“Why you bitch—” Sable lunges for her, shoving Vicky back. Kai reaches for Sable, but misses as she goes for Vicky once again.

Vicky’s hand shoots out, grabbing Sable’s arm in a bruising grip. Her nails dig crescents into Sable’s perfectly creamy skin. “You’re nothing.” she hisses, “Just a plaything for them to pass around. They’ll throw you out like trash, just like the rest of us.”

“Let go of me.”

Vicky leans in closer. “Or what? You think you can truly survive in this world? Your daddy surely couldn’t.”

I clench my teeth, red rising inside of me. Kai and I can barely react before Levi steps in between Sable and Vicky.

“Let. Her. Go,” Levi says, his voice a calm warning.

With a sharp jerk, she lets go of Sable, but not before looking up at Levi. “I bet she turned down your… Darker interests. Do you want me to help you get that release, baby?”

Levi ignores her taunt, moving faster than I can track, grabbing Vicky’s wrist and yanking her away from the three of us. She gasps in shock, and I instinctively take Sable into my hold.

He isn’t done.

Levi’s grip on Vicky’s wrist doesn’t loosen. If anything, it tightens, his knuckles going white as he pulls her closer, forcing her to stand on her tiptoes just to relieve the pressure. His face is inches from hers now and the look in his eyes is enough to kill.

“You like to run your little whore fucking mouth, don’t you?”

She tries to pull her wrist free, but Levi holds firm. He leans in even closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispers, just loud enough for us to hear, “If I see you again, I’ll break your fucking face. If you touch her again, I’ll put you six feet under. Do you understand?”

She opens her mouth to say something, to protest as she normally does. It’s different now that she doesn’t have a hold on us anymore. We aren’t phased by her.

“I’m done playing games with you, Vicky. You want to prove something? Prove it to someone who gives a damn. Because if you come near her again.” He lets the threat hang, understanding that now his voice is loud enough for others to hear. “I’ll make sure you can’t ever touch anyone again.”

The silence around us is suffocating. Vicky’s bravado crumbled, replaced by something much more fragile. And everyone saw it.

Better yet, they saw Levi make that public declaration.

When half the fucking university already thinks that he is responsible for all the murders.

“What are you going to do, kill me Levi? I thought you weren’t the violent brother.”

With a final vicious twist of her wrist, Levi shoves her back, sending her stumbling a few steps. She catches herself before she falls. But in normal Vicky-like fashion, she brushes herself off, flipping her ponytail, and turns around.

The four of us watch her walk away. Levi’s body is still tense with barely contained anger. Then, slowly, he turns to face Sable, who is nestled in my arms.

“You okay?” His voice is softened now.

Sable nods. “Yes.”

He closes his eyes and lets out an exhale. “I need to cool off. I’ll see you guys later.”